Flynn's Arcade at Disney - relive classic gaming for a quarter

Oct. 10, 2010

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

1 of 44

We've got photos of all 37 classic arcade games inside Flynn's Arcade - so just click on the photo above to take a stroll down memory lane in our '80s arcade slideshow. TEXT BY IAN HAMILTON, PHOTO BY JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 44

Flynn's Arcade, which opened on Friday at Disney California Adventure's ElecTRONica, has 37 classic games. TEXT BY IAN HAMILTON, PHOTO BY JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 44

Park goers insert dollars for tokens at Flynn's Arcade at Disney California Adventure Friday. Games each cost a quarter to play. TEXT B IAN HAMILTON, PHOTO BY JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 44

Space Paranoids is a fictional game in the original 1982 "Tron" film that was only recently made a reality. People can play the game at Flynn's Arcade. High scores are all currently held by FLN. TEXT BY IAN HAMILTON, PHOTO BY JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 44

The original Tron at Flynn's Arcade at Disney California Adventure's ElecTRONica. PHOTO BY IAN HAMILTON, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Gamers enjoy retro games like Donkey Kong, Tron, Centipede, Dig Dug, and more Friday at Disney California Adventure's new retro arcade, Flynn's Arcade, a tribute to the original Tron film. JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 44

Gamers line up to play the original Tron video game at Disney California Adventure's Flynn's Arcade. JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Gamers enjoy retro games like Donkey Kong, Tron, Centipede, Dig Dug, and more Friday at Disney California Adventure's new retro arcade, Flynn's Arcade, a tribute to the original Tron film. JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

We've got photos of all 37 classic arcade games inside Flynn's Arcade - so just click on the photo above to take a stroll down memory lane in our '80s arcade slideshow. TEXT BY IAN HAMILTON, PHOTO BY JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM - After getting his token, D.J. Ashford headed straight for the classic “Tron” arcade cabinet in the back when Flynn's Arcade opened at Disney California Adventure at 6 p.m. Friday.

The 36-year-old from Fremont dropped the coin, equivalent of a quarter, into the machine and started playing.

This was his game, back in the day.

“I used to play it anywhere you could find it,” Ashford said. “It took me back too, man.”

The game is one of 37 classics (plus a Foosball table, air hockey table and pinball machine) populating the arcade, a re-creation of the one found in Disney's 1982 film "Tron" and the upcoming sequel "Tron: Legacy," which hits theaters Dec. 17.

‘Galaga,” “Asteroids,” “Pac-Man,” “Donkey Kong” and many others are there.

All games cost a quarter to play.

The arcade – designed to capture the atmosphere of an arcade circa 1982 - glows with neon lighting against red brick facades while songs such as “Hold Me” by Fleetwood Mac and “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls add ambiance.

“It’s like I remember ’82,” said Craig Pierce, Disney Imagineer and producer of Flynn’s Arcade for Walt Disney Studios. “There’s no difference between this experience and what it was like 25 years ago. I think it is a real accurate reproduction of not just dropping games in a warehouse but the whole aura of what it was like in a communal gaming experience. … Gaming now is so at home whereas in the ‘80s gaming was a real community. You went to a brick-and-mortar location with money and you played computer games. We were the original gamers.”

Flynn's Arcade is part of Disney California Adventure’s ElecTRONica production, which opened Oct. 8.

The arcade opens at 6 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this fall, as well as during "select holiday weeks,” according to Disney.

In addition to the classics, there is one exclusive that can only be found at Flynn’s in Anaheim. In the original "Tron" film mythology, Flynn’s Arcade was home to two games – the title game Ashford was after and a game called “Space Paranoids.” Until recently, “Space Paranoids” never really existed. But ahead of the upcoming film the game was made a reality and a proper arcade cabinet was built for it. The only coin-operated version of the game in the world is at Flynn's, Pierce said.

Is there any chance Flynn’s Arcade could become a permanent fixture?

“I think it’s way too early to tell,” Pierce said. “Wouldn’t you love to think so?"

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.